BOPDHB History Whakatāne Hospital History Book | Page 47

Operating Theatre (1923)
The Operating Theatre was part of the original building and located to the south of the main corridor
across from the entrance to the Children’s Ward. Beside the Theatre was a small Milk Room where
the daily milk supply was delivered. On completion of the Santon Block in 1974, the fifth floor was
assigned to all theatre activities and the original theatre area was occupied by the cleaners. In 2011
the same area was occupied by the Information Technology team.

X-ray Facility (1923, 1974)
The X-ray Unit was part of the original building and was located to the south side of the corridor
directly opposite the entrance to the Men’s Ward. On the completion of the Godfrey Santon Block in
1974 the X-ray equipment was relocated onto the first floor of the new building and was still in use
there in 2011.

Kitchen (1923, 1960)
While there is no mention of the establishment of a single kitchen facility when the new Hospital was
built in 1923, it is reasonable to assume that more than one kitchen was installed in the building.
There is certainly mention of a kitchen in the Children’s Ward. Some records (which may not be totally
reliable) suggest that a separate kitchen was built in 1928 but this may have been in the 1928 Nurses’
Home. Minutes of a Board meeting held in September 1934 record the need to proceed with the
tar-sealing of the roadway from the entrance on Stewart Street to the kitchen door suggesting that
there was a kitchen in the Main Building. Much later, in 1960, the kitchen was moved to the present
location (2011) on the south side of the walkway connecting the two blocks originally built as the
Men’s Ward and the Children’s Ward. A public cafeteria was added at the same time. The bulk store
(an old Army hut) for the storage of bulk purchases such as sugar, flour, and other non-perishable
goods was directly to the south of the kitchen.

Pharmacy (1923)
As soon as the new Hospital was operating, a dispensary was established in the building. Some
records suggest a second pharmacy was built in 1940 off a corridor connecting the newly constructed
Women’s Ward and the original Men’s Ward and this is possible as it has been mentioned56 that
there were several ‘mini-pharmacies’ in various parts of the original hospital. In 2011 the Pharmacy
occupied the old temporary laboratory building built in 1969, with an entrance linking with the main
passage leading to the Rehabilitation Therapy and Physiotherapy services in the buildings originally
built as the first (1927) and second (1955) Maternity Annex.

Rona Stanley, Pers. Com., Whakatāne Hospital, 2011

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